Book Description

This book is about the developmental anatomy of large, complex plants, particularly of the woody plants that grow and survive for decades or centuries. It is focused on the meaning of that anatomy, that integrated structure, as a determinant of effective function. A pervading theme is that the plant structures that have survived "selection" processes during the eons of organismal evolution, within the larger context of geo logic and climatic evolution, are well attuned to biochemical and biophysical principles that determine and define efficient function. The sets of structure-and-function couples existing in the various plant taxa differ so widely that generalities are often difficult to discern. This diversity is due partly to the broad range of ecological conditions to which higher plant organisms have become adapted under stresses imposed by competition and continual climatic change. It is also due to the tendency of different taxa, with their different complements of inherited information, to respond to similar situations in different ways. Cognizant of this reality, we have tried throughout the book to avoid generalizing too broadly on the basis of data from the relatively small fraction of plant species that have as yet been studied. This book is intended for those who have already studied the anatomy and develop ment of plants. It is addressed to advanced students, teachers, and researchers in the interrelated fields of botany, forestry, horticulture, and agronomy, and to others having professional interests in the culture of woody plants and the stewardship of ecosystems.